City came into the match knowing that nothing short of a win would be enough to seal the title:a draw or a loss would hand the plate to bitter local rivals Melbourne Victory, whose demolition of Sydney FC on Saturday night had put them in pole position.
Patrick Kisnorbo’s team looked to be coasting to victory courtesy of an early own goal and a point-blank header byJamie Maclaren shortly afterwards,but were made to sweat after Ben Waine pulled a goal back nine minutes into the second half.
THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY FRIEND
Victory fans swelled the crowd,taking possession of the northern end of the stadium,trying to cheer Wellington on and spur them to an unlikely triumph. Their presence wasn’t lost on the City players,with Maclaren acknowledging them in ironic fashion before the game kicked off,and he and Andrew Nabbout saluting them sarcastically at the end.
A City failure would have been a fairytale for Victory,the fallen giantswhose turnaround this season under Tony Popovic has been remarkable after they finished bottom of the table last campaign.
It would have been a huge embarrassment for Kisnorbo’s City squad who,powered by the riches of the UAE-controlled City Football Group,have been able to construct a line-up featuring several Socceroos and well-credentialled foreign imports.